WHAT DOES A PREP SCHOOL LOOK LIKE?

Christopher King, chief executive of the Independent Association of Prep Schools

sense for the age that we are enough for you to succeed? Marty work and brand design, defines ‘Rules of Genius’. These are: imaginative, non-routine, and talent-driven, professional, and routinised, outsourceable, and computerised, efficient, and needs to be on creative work, are likely to remain employable

Close your eyes and picture a prep school in your head. Open them and think again. The Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) was founded 126 years ago and currently has 670 of the world’s leading prep schools in membership. The question that comes to mind is: “Why does this association continue to thrive?”

There are those who want to believe their own version of reality and who see us setting like the sun going over the horizon, drifting inevitably to a gentle end, but an end nonetheless. The truth is the opposite and the past 126 years does not reveal, on interrogation, over a century of struggle for survival but a record of innovation, adoption of new ideas, and true depth in commitment to values which are enduring.

The modern prep school demonstrates this more than ever. There is curriculum innovation where prep schools are free of the shackles of government ministers’diktat. In 1967, the then education minister, Tony Crosland, introduced sweeping changes to many aspects of English education but, nevertheless, he said: “I didn’t regard either myself or my officials as competent to interfere with the curriculum”(Kogan,1971). Move on to 2013 and the then Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, was entirely comfortable saying: “We have stripped out the piously, vapid happy-talk and instead laid out the knowledge that every child is entitled to expect they be taught.” realise that you will need more earlier. Alvin Toffler, author of 1970 said: “The illiterate of the those who cannot read and write, unlearn, and relearn.” His they were prophetic at the time

The World Economic Forum reported in 2016 that you will need the 10 skills listed below to thrive in 2020:

1. Complex problem solving of the great joys, and indeed head in an independent school to choose the curriculum and best for the pupils in the school.

The skills on this list make sense for the age that we are living in. But are they enough for you to succeed? Marty Neumeier, a speaker on work and brand design, defines four types of work in his ‘Rules of Genius’. These are: Creative – Unique, imaginative, non-routine, and autonomous Skilled – Standardised, talent-driven, professional, and directed Rote – Interchangeable, routinised, outsourceable, and managed Robotic – Algorithmic, computerised, efficient, and purchased.

Of these, the focus really needs to be on creative work, because that is where you are likely to remain employable in the future.

You might have started to realise that you will need more than the 10 skills listed earlier. Alvin Toffler, author of Future Shock, as long ago as 1970 said: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” His words are as true now as they were prophetic at the time he wrote them.

It is a simple truth that one of the great joys, and indeed responsibilities, of being a head in an independent school is that you get the freedom to choose the curriculum and co-curricular shape that is best for the pupils in the school.

2. Critical thinking

3. Creativity

4. People management

IAPS schools are innovating and very much have the sense that a major objective must be to equip their children with the skills relevant to the future world. There are any number of schools adopting a baccalaureate design to their curriculum with problem-solving embedded at the heart. Growth mindset, wellbeing and resilience-building feature increasingly prominently in the prep school day and not as a bolt-on after-school club. Seeing what is really happening behind the doors of flourishing prep schools will cause you to open your eyes wider and to understand why such schools are relevant and entirely well set for the future, whatever it throws at them.

5. Coordinating with others

6. Emotional intelligence

7. Judgement and decision making

8. Service orientation

9. Negotiation and very much have the sense be to equip their children with future world. There are any a baccalaureate design to problem-solving embedded at the wellbeing and resilience-building prominently in the prep school day after-school club. Seeing what is doors of flourishing prep open your eyes wider and to schools are relevant and entirely whatever it throws at them.

10. Cognitive flexibility

The 46 Rules of Genius: An Innovator’s Guide to Creativity, 2014, New Riders Press: A book of concise insights about how people innovate and create Marty Neumeier The politics of Education: Edward Boyle and Anthony Crosland in conversation with Maurice Kogan 1971 Harmondsworth: Penguin Gove, M. (2011) House of Commons Oral Answers to Questions, February 7.